Chapter 16

*A month and 3 weeks?

I woke up a bit sore..almost as if the excess dancing had finally taken its toll.

You're playing with fire.....

Well maybe I wanna get burned..just a little bit.

I closed my eyes and groaned when the scenario flashed through my head. Could I have sounded any worse?

Or anymore stupid?.

Saturday.

Looking at the time, I realized I had slept in.

A lot actually.. 10.50am

I got out from bed and went straight to the bathroom. Trying not to think about the occurences of the day before I focused on flossing. I flossed so hard it felt like my teeth were aching.

My phone rang.

I checked the caller ID.

Bethany

"Hey Beth what's up"

"Sooo if i don't call to say hi you don't call to say hi" she said and i smiled, hearing her voice was always soothing.

"You always have been an influence"

She laughed at that.

"That doesn't get you off the hook."

"I know, things have been real busy around here"

"Ohhh fill me in" and I did, interrupted only a few times by her snide comments.

Sarcastic snide comments.

"So you're telling me that this bitch that he slept with is.."

"Shh not so loud" I admonished but I was laughing. Come to think of it it's been a long time I'd laughed.

"What the hell babe?.. That's so wrapped up. You sure you wanna miss all that?"

"Miss all that, what do you mean?" I asked and she snorted.

"Today makes it a month and three weeks that you stay there..wait, don't tell me you forgot!" I could envision her eyes widening and her cherry lips making a wide 'O'.

"I.."

"Oh my God you fucking did! You really forgot"

"I..are you sure it's that far gone? I mean, I thought i had only gone a..a month?"

"You got to be kidding me girl, I honestly didnt think this would be you reaction, I thought you'd be so happy to leave"

I did too.

But for some reason I felt this undeniable sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Beth, that audition I went for, yesterday.. I got in"

"Shit!"

"Yeah"

"Babe that's awesome!"

"I know I know, it's just..I don't know what do i tell mom?."

"The truth, she'd be so proud"

"Just until the competition..after that, I'd be back before you know it."

"Sure"

"I'm serious, gotta run now though. Talk later?"

"Or until I call?" I laughed despite the tense feeling in my stomach.

"I'll call I promise"

"Alright bye" and the line went dead. I stared at the screen for a long time before walking back into the bathroom.

________________

I finally came out from my room around noon, the dining room was empty, except for dad who sat one one of the chairs, reading the days paper.

"No work today?" I asked walking to the fridge and getting a bottle of coke.

"It's Saturday..aren't you going to eat something?"

"Nah, don't have much of an appetite" I said and I drank my coke while he read the paper in silence, but i could tell something was up.

The air felt tense .

"Uh..kiddo, I don't know if it's a good time but um.. Times elapsing, two months and all." I dropped my coke and looked away.

"Yeah..time flies, why's everyone asking me this today?"

"We're all curious"

He said amd i sighed.

"I just got into a dance competition"

"Wow that's great honey, you always were a good dancer." He said and I warmed up.

"Thanks..anyway until the day of the dance off.. I dont know u really wanna dance"

"Honey honey that's okay.. Really. The longer you stay the better." He said standing up to path cheek and walking away.

I didn't even have time to think anything over when my phone beeped.

A picture message from liv.

That can't be good.

I clicked on the picture, my heart pounded as it loaded. I gasped.

The picture was blur but it conveyed its messages clearly. A boy kissimg a girl one hand on her almost exposed breast..

Damian and a Baxter

And since it wasn't her..

Natasha.

___________

I just finished off a call with liv. I was walking, needed some air actually. Everything seemed so tangled up. Was Damian sleeping with Tasha's best friend and Tasha at the same time, was this picture recent?

That didnt matter, a scandal caused an uproar no matter when it happened.

Did Tasha know of this?

How many times..

"Hey..hey!" I turned around and saw the devil.

"Congrats..on making the team" Damian said then frowned.

"Is something wrong?" He said raising a hand to touch my face but i brushed it away and showed him the picture on my phone.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked and he squinted

"Damn" he said probably realizing what it was.

"I thought you guys were over, but You're side fucking Natasha too?"

"We didn't.. It didn't come to that"

"A round of applause!" My voice raised a pitch.

"This picture is everywhere"

"Oh i get it you're worried about your reputation" he said and I slapped him, not flinching from his shocked gaze.

"If you're fucking her best friend then you've done a good job of getting back at Natasha, there really is no need to mess with her even more!"

"Were not having sex damn you!..it was only one time and i didn't know who she was. As for Tasha, that was a mistake and i stopped before anything happened!"

"Not in time. This is going to crush her"

"Well she crushed me first."

"And you evened that out ever since you acted like an asshole."

"Well i told you didn't I ? I'm a bad person, I make bad choices"

"And I've stopped doubting that" I said coming closer until we were an inch apart.

"I understand that. So please stay away from my sister."

"Why do you care so much anyway. None of this would have happened if you didnt ask her to hide your identity"

"What?"

"Don't play with me..she told me everything. How you told ger to keep your coming a secret."

"what the..I never did that "

"Lying to save your ass. Who's the bad one now?" He said and walked away as the tears pricked my eyes.

___________

I walked into the house with a red nose. How the hell did my life turn to this.

Getting into other peoples problems .

My phone rang and I picked it up.

"Hello".

"Hey baby".

"Mom" I felt my eyes sting again.

"Beth told me about your dancing stuff.. But thats not what got ur voice all teary is it?" She asked and i shook my head then remembering she couldn't see me, I croaked a 'no'

"What's wrong?"

"I'm fine really..it's just life moves too fast around here and so much has happen in such little time..I miss you" I said. Tasha had given me a bad image in Damian's perspective, and how many people would believe the girl in the picture was Tasha, how many would believe it was me?

I mean,in their eyes I was the mean sister who asked Tasha to hide my identity.. The one that danced with Damian, caused their break up..

Oh God

"It's gonna be okay sweety.." Mom said bringing me out of my reverie.

Damian walked into the house and straight to his step mothers room. What Mikael had said had gotten under his skin and he didnt know why. How was he supposed to say that she'd been on his mind like a broken record lately and that he's been hot for her, not Amelia..not Natasha.

"You win"

"Oh?" His step mom remarked looking up from the book she was reading. She had her reading glasses on.

"I need my drugs back, I'm making a lotta mistakes without them."

"Really, what kind of mistakes?" When it became apparent that he wouldn't answer she cleared her throat.

"Take off your shirt?"

"What?"

"You want your drugs right? Take off your shirt" Damian sighed and did so, exposing a nicely toned torso.

"Ooh la la..come closer" he did that too, let her roam her slender white hands on his chest.

"How much would you do for a drug. Take off your trousers and kneel" he got out of his trousers leaving him in his underwear. He was about to kneel when he heard a voice.

"Mom what's going on?" Cursing he turned back to see Tony.

"Nothing dear." She said coming closer to Damian and whispering in his ear.

"It's just as well..I wasn't planning to buy you those costly overrated pills anyway" and she walked away, patting her son on his shoulder. Damian dropped to the floor as tears pricked his eyes and fell. Tony watched him silently. He pretended to ignore him but he couldn't, he felt like screaming.